If you’re looking for a safelist mailer that offers more than simply sending an advertisement to a list of members, State of the Art Mailer is one that deserves a closer look.
Also commonly referred to as SOTAM, State of the Art Mailer is an established mailer built around a unique membership system called Button Levels. The system allows members to increase the size of the audience they can mail to as they move through the different levels.
But there’s another feature that makes SOTAM particularly interesting: Button Escalation.
Instead of simply upgrading and stopping there, members can earn the ability to mail to larger groups by participating in the system and collecting credits. This gives active members a way to increase their advertising exposure beyond their normal mailing level.
The program currently advertises a membership base of approximately 30,000 members, and it offers several advertising opportunities beyond its regular mailer. These include Golden Solo Ads, Click-for-Cash advertising, Time-Bonus Ads, and additional promotional opportunities.
I’ve also been using State of the Art Mailer myself, including an upgraded membership, so this review is based on more than simply looking at the signup page.
What Is State of the Art Mailer?
State of the Art Mailer is a safelist mailer designed for internet, affiliate, and network marketers who want to get their advertisements in front of other members.
The basic concept is familiar to anyone who has used a safelist.
Members receive emails from other members and can earn credits or other benefits through activity. Those credits and membership benefits can then be used to promote their own advertisements.
Where SOTAM becomes different is in the way it structures its mailing levels.
Rather than having a simple Free / Bronze / Silver / Gold type of membership structure, SOTAM uses Button Levels.
The higher the Button Level, the larger the audience available for your regular mailings.
The current upgrade structure includes:
- 1,500 Button Level
- 3,000 Button Level
- 5,000 Button Level
- 7,500 Button Level
- Viralist — 30,000 Button Level
Each level increases the number of members you can mail to every three days.
And that’s only part of the story.
The Button Level System
The Button Level concept is one of the defining features of State of the Art Mailer.
When you upgrade your Button Level, you’re essentially increasing the amount of exposure available for your advertisements.
The current system provides progressively larger mailing audiences as follows:
| Button Level | Regular Mailing | Button Escalation |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 | 1,500 members every 3 days | Up to 5,000 |
| 3,000 | 3,000 members every 3 days | Up to 7,500 |
| 5,000 | 5,000 members every 3 days | Up to 30,000 |
| 7,500 | 7,500 members every 3 days | Up to 30,000 |
| Viralist | Highest available level every 3 days | No escalation |
This is important because the number attached to a Button Level isn’t merely a label.
It represents the size of the audience you can reach with your regular mailings.
For example, someone at the 5,000 Button Level can send an advertisement to at least 5,000 members every three days, while also having Button Escalation available to potentially reach the Viralist audience of 30,000 members.
That gives active members another way to increase their advertising exposure without necessarily having to purchase the highest membership immediately.
Button Escalation
If there is one feature I would pay particular attention to when evaluating SOTAM, it’s Button Escalation.
This is a major difference between State of the Art Mailer and many traditional safelist mailers.
The concept is simple: members can participate in the system and earn the ability to escalate their advertisements to larger mailing audiences.
At the 1,500 Button Level, for example, Button Escalation can allow an advertisement to reach up to 5,000 members.
At the 3,000 level, that can increase to 7,500.
At the 5,000 level, escalation reaches all the way to the 30,000-member Viralist audience.
The 7,500 level also has access to escalation toward the 30,000-member audience.
This creates an interesting combination of paid advertising exposure and activity-based advertising exposure.
You’re not simply buying a larger mailing list and forgetting about the system.
Being active can help you get more out of your membership.
1,500 Button Level
The first paid Button Level is the 1,500 Button Level.
This level allows members to:
- Mail to at least 1,500 members every three days
- Use Button Escalation to mail up to 5,000 members
- Receive three hyperlinked viral ads
- Earn a 15% monthly residual commission
The listed monthly price is $8.80.
The six-month option is listed at $52.78.
The site also shows reduced renewal pricing through its loyalty program.
For marketers on a smaller budget, this provides a relatively inexpensive way to increase mailing frequency and audience size compared with remaining at the free level.
3,000 Button Level
The 3,000 Button Level increases the regular mailing audience to at least 3,000 members every three days.
Benefits include:
- Mail to at least 3,000 members every three days
- Button Escalation up to 7,500 members
- Three hyperlinked viral ads
- 25% monthly residual commissions
The listed monthly price is $15.01.
The six-month price is $90.04.
This level starts to make more sense for someone who is regularly using the mailer and wants substantially more exposure than the lower Button Level provides.
5,000 Button Level
The 5,000 Button Level is where the Button Escalation feature becomes particularly interesting.
Members can:
- Mail to at least 5,000 members every three days
- Use Button Escalation
- Potentially escalate mailings all the way to the 30,000-member Viralist audience
- Receive three hyperlinked viral ads
- Earn 35% monthly residual commissions
The listed monthly price is $29.50.
The six-month price is $176.98.
This is a significant increase in mailing exposure compared with the lower levels.
More importantly, it gives the member access to the same 30,000-member escalation target available to the higher Button Levels.
7,500 Button Level
The 7,500 Button Level increases the regular mailing audience again.
Benefits include:
- Mail to at least 7,500 members every three days
- Button Escalation
- Escalation toward the 30,000-member Viralist audience
- Three hyperlinked viral ads
- 45% monthly residual commissions
The listed monthly price is $43.99.
The six-month price is $263.92.
For someone who is actively using SOTAM as a regular advertising source, this level provides a substantial mailing audience without requiring the full Viralist upgrade.
Viralist — 30,000 Button Level
At the top of the system is the Viralist Button Level.
This is designed for members who want the largest available regular mailing audience.
The Viralist membership provides:
- Email the highest Button Level available every three days
- Automatic movement to new Button Levels as they become active
- No emails to read
- An inline random referral system
- 100 bonus hours of Time-Bonus advertising each month
- A free Click-for-Cash ad included with every email sent
The listed monthly price is $86.42.
The six-month price is $518.53.
The most important difference is that Viralist isn’t simply another incremental mailing level.
It is designed as the top of the Button Level system, with the ability to mail to the highest available audience automatically.
Loyalty Renewal Rewards
One feature I really like about the SOTAM pricing structure is the Loyalty Renewal Rewards Discount.
The site explains that monthly subscription prices remain locked in as long as the subscription remains active.
For members who choose the six-month option, the price is reduced by 5% with each renewal.
And there’s an important distinction here.
The 5% discount applies to the last paid price, rather than resetting to the original price each time.
That means long-term members can potentially reduce their cost further with continued six-month renewals.
This is a feature that becomes more valuable the longer you stay with the program.
More Than Just a Safelist Mailer
State of the Art Mailer isn’t limited to its basic mailer.
The platform also promotes several other advertising opportunities.
Golden Solo Ads
Golden Solo Ads provide an opportunity to send an advertisement directly to the SOTAM membership base.
The public site currently describes Golden Solo Ads as email advertising to the full 30,000-member audience.
There is also a weekly drawing for the opportunity to win a Golden Solo Ad.
That gives members another way to potentially get their advertising in front of the entire membership.
Click-for-Cash Ads
SOTAM also includes a Click-for-Cash advertising system.
Members can earn cash by viewing qualifying advertisements, while advertisers can use the system to gain additional exposure.
The public site also notes that members sending at the Viralist Button Level receive free placement in the Click-for-Cash section.
Time-Bonus Advertising
Another unusual feature is the Time-Bonus Ad system.
The public site describes this as a time-based advertising system that allows a 468×60 banner to run across a network of websites and blogs.
The Viralist membership includes 100 bonus hours per month that can be applied toward Time-Bonus banner advertising.
This gives the top membership another advertising component beyond email.
Residual Affiliate Commissions
The Button Levels also include different monthly residual commission rates.
The current structure is:
- 1,500 Button Level — 15%
- 3,000 Button Level — 25%
- 5,000 Button Level — 35%
- 7,500 Button Level — 45%
- Viralist — 50%
This gives upgraded members an additional reason to build referrals.
The higher the Button Level, the greater the advertised residual commission percentage.
That means the membership isn’t solely about buying advertising exposure.
For marketers who actively refer other members, the affiliate side becomes another part of the overall value proposition.
Free Membership
One of the things I like about SOTAM is that you don’t necessarily have to upgrade to get started.
A free membership gives you an opportunity to learn how the system works, participate in the mailer, earn credits, and work toward greater exposure through activity.
The Button Escalation system is particularly interesting for free and lower-level members because it provides a way to participate in the system rather than simply accepting the limitations of a basic membership.
This makes SOTAM more interesting to someone who is just starting out and doesn’t immediately want another monthly advertising expense.
You can get familiar with the system first and decide later whether paying for additional exposure makes sense for your marketing.
How We Use State of the Art Mailer
For me, State of the Art Mailer fits into a larger traffic-generation strategy.
I don’t look at a safelist mailer as a magic source of instant sales.
I look at it as another potential source of visitors that can feed into my overall marketing funnel.
That distinction matters.
The goal isn’t simply to send an advertisement to thousands of people.
The goal is to get the right people to take the next step.
For example, I can use SOTAM to promote a lead-capture page, website article, affiliate offer, traffic program, or another part of my marketing funnel.
When someone clicks through and becomes a lead, I have the opportunity to continue communicating with that person through email marketing.
That’s much more valuable than depending on one isolated click.
I also like the fact that SOTAM gives me different ways to generate exposure.
I can use regular mailings, take advantage of Button Escalation, and potentially use additional advertising options when they make sense for a particular campaign.
That gives me more flexibility than a mailer where the only advertising option is simply sending a message to the list.
Is State of the Art Mailer Worth Trying?
I think State of the Art Mailer is worth testing, particularly for marketers who are already comfortable using safelist mailers as part of their traffic strategy.
The free membership gives you a way to get started without immediately committing to an upgrade.
The paid Button Levels provide progressively larger audiences, while Button Escalation gives active members another way to increase their exposure.
The additional advertising opportunities also make SOTAM more than just a basic email mailer.
The biggest thing I would recommend is to test your results.
Different traffic sources perform differently for different offers.
A lead-capture page may perform very differently from an affiliate sales page.
A short curiosity-based advertisement may perform differently from an educational promotion.
The only way to know what works for your particular funnel is to track it.
State of the Art Mailer FAQ
What is State of the Art Mailer?
State of the Art Mailer, often called SOTAM, is a safelist mailer and online advertising platform designed primarily for internet, affiliate, and network marketers.
How often can upgraded members send emails?
The current paid Button Levels allow members to send regular mailings every three days, with the audience size determined by their Button Level.
What is Button Escalation?
Button Escalation allows eligible members to increase the audience reached by an advertisement beyond their normal Button Level by using earned credits and participating in the system.
How far can Button Escalation go?
Depending on the Button Level, escalation can reach audiences of 5,000, 7,500, or up to the 30,000-member Viralist level.
What is the Viralist level?
Viralist is the highest Button Level. It provides access to the highest available mailing audience every three days and includes additional benefits such as Time-Bonus advertising and Click-for-Cash exposure.
Does SOTAM have banner advertising?
Yes. State of the Art Mailer offers Time-Bonus banner advertising that can place a 468×60 banner across its advertising network.
Does SOTAM offer solo ads?
Yes. Golden Solo Ads are one of the additional advertising opportunities available through the platform.
Does State of the Art Mailer have an affiliate program?
Yes. The different upgraded Button Levels advertise progressively higher monthly residual commission rates, reaching 50% at the Viralist level.
Does State of the Art Mailer offer a free membership?
Yes. A free membership is available and provides an opportunity to participate in the system before deciding whether an upgrade is worthwhile.
Does SOTAM offer a loyalty discount?
Yes. Six-month memberships receive a 5% renewal discount, with the discount calculated from the last paid price.
Final Verdict
State of the Art Mailer is one of the more distinctive safelist mailers I’ve come across.
The basic concept is familiar: join a marketing-focused mailer, advertise your offers, and use the system to generate traffic.
But SOTAM adds several features that make it different.
The Button Level system provides a clear progression in advertising exposure.
The Button Escalation system gives active members a way to reach larger audiences than their normal membership level.
The Viralist level provides access to the largest available audience along with additional advertising benefits.
And then there are the Golden Solo Ads, Click-for-Cash ads, Time-Bonus banners, and affiliate commissions.
For someone who is serious about using safelist mailers as one component of a broader traffic strategy, that’s a pretty substantial collection of tools.
I also like the fact that the free membership gives marketers a chance to experience the system before spending money.
As with any traffic source, I wouldn’t judge SOTAM strictly by the size of its membership.
What matters is what happens after someone sees your advertisement.
If you’re using the traffic to build an email list, generate leads, promote an affiliate offer, or move prospects into a larger marketing funnel, then the traffic has a measurable purpose.
That’s the way I recommend approaching State of the Art Mailer.
Use it. Track it. Test different offers. And let your results determine how much of your advertising strategy SOTAM deserves.
